Device for linking two webs of material

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for linking two webs of material ( 11, 16 ), each rolled up on a roll of material, especially webs of paper, during web-roll changing without stopping. Said device comprises a linking device ( 02, 07 ) for linking, especially gluing, the fresh web of material ( 16 ) with the expiring web of material ( 11 ), and a cutting device ( 03, 24 ) for severing the expiring web of material, thereby producing two web ends. The cutting device ( 03, 24 ) is disposed downstream of the linking device ( 02, 07 ) when seen in the direction of conveyance of the expiring web of material.

[0001] The invention relates to a device for connecting two webs of material in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A device for a flying roll change is known from DE 42 18 825 A1, by means of which a fresh paper web can be glued to the paper web which is running-out in a printing press operating at production speed. After the fresh paper web has been glued on, the paper web which is running-out is cut by means of a cutting device and two web ends are formed in the process, wherein the one web end, together with the fresh paper web, is conveyed through the printing press, and the second web end, together with the used up paper roll, can be removed from the roll changer. In the course of the roll change both paper rolls rotate in the same direction, and the running-out paper web is moved past the fresh paper roll in such a way that, in the course of gluing it to the running-out paper web, the start of the fresh paper web is brought into contact with the running-out paper web in as tangentially a way as possible.

[0003] A device for a flying roll change is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,942, wherein a cutting device and a gluing roller are provided in a frame. For a roll change the frame can approach the running-out paper web from one side, so that when the connecting device is triggered, a gluing roller, together with the running-out paper web, is pressed against a gluing spot of the fresh paper web. Thereafter the running-out paper web is cut by the cutting knife.

[0004] A device for a flying roll change is known from EP 0 720 581 B1, by means of which the tension of the paper web can be kept substantially constant during the gluing or cutting process by means of a suitable kinematic movement process.

[0005] In connection with the known devices for connecting two paper webs in the course of a flying roll change it is disadvantageous that, because of the arrangement of the cutting device, for example a gluing roller or gluing brush, upstream of the connecting device in the feed direction of the running-out web of material, a so-called “slip” is necessarily formed. In this case the length of this slip, i.e. the distance between the connecting point of the fresh and the old web of material and the cut-through web end of the old web of material, is essentially determined by the distance between the connecting device and the cutting device. Interferences are often caused by the slip in the course of conveying the web of material through a processing machine, for example a web-fed rotary printing press. To prevent these interferences, a device is proposed in WO 99/40004 A1, wherein, by means of an appropriate web guidance after the cutting of the old web of material, the slip is pushed outward by means of the centrifugal forces acting on the slip and is subsequently cut off by a cutter bar. It is possible with this to shorten the length of the slip to almost zero, but a considerable additional structural outlay is required for an appropriate web guidance and the downstream connected cutter bar.

[0006] The object of the invention is based on providing a device for connecting two webs of material.

[0007] In accordance with the invention this object is attained by means of the characteristics of claim 1.

[0008] The advantages to be obtained by means of the invention lie in particular in that, because of the arrangement of the cutting device downstream of the connecting device, viewed in the feeding direction of the running-out web of material, the slip can be basically cut off as short as desired when the running-out web of material is cut. When connecting the fresh web of material to the running-out web of material the result always is a Y-shaped structure, one of whose branches, namely the old web of material starting at the old roll of material up to the gluing point, can essentially be completely cut off by the cutting device arranged downstream of the connecting device. By arranging the cutting device downstream of the connecting device, no minimum slip length necessarily results, but the length of the slip can basically be shortened as desired. However, in the course of this it should be noted that, if the slip length is selected to be too short, there is the potential danger that the fresh web of material is inadvertently damaged by the cutting device.

[0009] If the cutting device is arranged downstream of the connecting device, there is the potential danger that the fresh web of material is also inadvertently damaged in the course of cutting through the old web of material. To dependably prevent this danger it is particularly advantageous if the cutting device is brought into engagement with the web of material to be cut by moving a web guide device, by means of which the course of the web of material to be cut can be changed. As a result it is possible to achieve that the fresh web of material and the web of material to be cut off are guided along different paths in the area downstream of the gluing point, so that only the old web of material is dependably cut. By moving the web guide device it is in particular possible for the fresh web of material and the web of material to be cut to form a defined angle in respect to each other. In this case the cutting device for cutting the old web of material must be arranged in such a way that, after the gluing point has passed the cutting device, because of its course the old web of material can be cut by contact with the cutting edge of the cutting device. An advantage of this embodiment lies in particular in that the cutting device for cutting the old web of material need not be moved, but can be arranged fixed in one place.

[0010] The change of the course of the old web of material required for cutting the old web of material can be achieved in a particularly simple manner in that the connecting device, for example a gluing roller or gluing brush, after it has pressed the running-out web of material against the fresh web of material, is displaced in such a way that the old web of material comes into engagement with the cutting device.

[0011] Alternatively to the displacement of a web guide device, by means of which the course of the web of material to be cut can be altered, it is also conceivable that the cutting device comes into engagement with the web of material to be cut by means of a suitable displacement of a web guide device, by means of which the course of the fresh web of material can be changed, and the simultaneous change of position of the cutting device. In other words this means that by changing the web guide device the fresh web of material is rerouted, at least briefly, in such a way that after the position of the cutting device has been changed, the fresh web of material does not come into engagement with the cutting device, and only the old web of material is cut by the change of position of the cutting device.

[0012] In order to dependably prevent an unintentional cutting of the fresh web of material by the cutting device, a spacing element can be provided on the cutting device, by means of which a defined minimum distance between the cutting device and the fresh web of material is assured.

[0013] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are represented in the drawings and will be described in greater detail in what follows.

[0014] Shown are in:

[0015]FIG. 1, a device for connecting two webs of material in the initial position in a schematically represented lateral plan view,

[0016]FIG. 2, the device in FIG. 1 after the running-out web of material has approached the fresh web of material,

[0017]FIG. 3, the device in FIG. 1 in the course of pressing the running-out web of material against the fresh web of material,

[0018]FIG. 4, the device in FIG. 1 in the course of cutting the old web of material.

[0019] A device 01 with a connecting device 02, embodied in the manner of a gluing roller, in particular a web guide device, and a cutting device 03, embodied in the manner of a severing cutter, -are represented in FIG. 1. Both the connecting device 02 and the cutting device 03 are fastened on a frame 04, formed by two lateral elements arranged parallel with each other. Two pivot arms 07, which are seated for pivoting around an axis of rotation 06, are provided for displacing the connecting device 02 in relation to the frame 04. The connecting device 02 can be rotatingly pivoted around the axis of rotation 06 by triggering a drive mechanism, not represented. The connecting device 02 embodied in the manner of a gluing roller is here rotatably seated at the lower ends of the pivot arms 07. The cutting device 03 is connected with the frame 04 and fixed in place on it. The frame 04 itself is pivotably seated and can be pivoted around an axis of rotation 08, which agrees with the axis of rotation of a guide roller 09, by means of a drive device, not represented.

[0020]FIG. 1 represents the device 01 in its initial position. In the initial position the device 01 has been pivoted to the right in such a way that neither the cutting device 03 nor the connecting device 02 come into engagement with one of the webs of material. A running-out web of material 11, in particular a paper web, is wound off a roll of material 15, which is seated in a roll changer, not represented, and is conveyed into a downstream arranged device, for example a rotary printing press, over the guide rollers 12, 09. The conveying direction of the running-out web of material 11 can be determined by the movement arrow 13.

[0021] If the old roll of material 15 is used up to a large extent, and if therefore a flying roll change is to be performed, the fresh roll of material 14, on which a fresh web of material 16, in particular a paper web, is wound, is clamped into the non-represented roll changer and is rotationally accelerated in accordance with the movement arrow 17 until the circumferential speed of the web start 18 of the fresh web of material 16 matches the conveying speed of the running-out web of material 11. Adhesive labels 19 have been attached to the web start 18 of the fresh web of material 16, so that the fresh web of material 16 can be connected with the running-out web of material 11. The passage of the adhesive labels 19 can be detected by means of a sensor 21, only represented schematically, and can be passed on to the control of the roll changer. As soon as the fresh web of material 14 has reached the required circumferential speed, the frame 04 can be pivoted to the left in accordance with the movement arrow 22 so that the running-out web of material 11 initially approaches the fresh roll of material 14.

[0022] The device 01 is represented in FIG. 2 after the pivoting of the frame 04 for letting the running-out web of material 11 approach the fresh roll of material 14. In the course of the pivot movement of the frame 04 the pivot arms 07 are also pivoted without their moving relative to the frame 04. The result is that the connecting device 02 comes into contact with one side of the running-out web of material 11 and, with an increasing pivot angle of the frame 04, it pushes the running-out web of material 11 farther and farther in the direction of the fresh roll of material 14. Since up to now the pivot arms 07 have not been displaced, damage to the running-out web of material 11 by the cutting device 03, which is fixedly mounted on the frame, is dependably prevented by means of its relative arrangement between the cutting device 03 and the connecting device 02.

[0023] Once the connecting device 02 has sufficiently approached the fresh roll of material 14 by means of the pivoting of the frame 04, it is possible to start the actual connection of the running-out web of material 11 with the fresh web of material 16. To this end, a signal is passed on from the sensor 21 to the control device when the adhesive labels 19 pass, so that after receipt of this signal the control device triggers the drive mechanism for displacing the pivot arms 07, so that the pivot arms 07 are pivoted to the left in accordance with the movement arrow 23 and in the process take the running-out web of material 11 along until the running-out web of material 11 comes to rest against the fresh roll of material 14 at the exact moment of the passage of the adhesive labels 19, so that the web start 18 of the fresh web of material 16 is connected with one side of the old running-out web of material 11.

[0024] The state of the device 01 at the exact moment of the connection between the running-out web of material 11 and the fresh web of material 16 is schematically represented in FIG. 3. It can be seen that, because of the connection of the fresh web of material 16 with one side of the running-out web of material 11, a Y-shaped structure results, two of whose branches are formed by the running-out web of material 11, and one by the fresh web of material 16, and in whose roots the adhesive labels 19 are located. An unintentional cutting of the running-out web of material 11 at this time is prevented since, because of its arrangement on the frame 04, the cutting device 03 extends essentially parallel with the course of the running-out web of material 11 in the area of the frame 04. Furthermore, a circular spacing element 24 is provided on the cutting device 03, by means of which a defined minimum distance between the running-out web of material 11 and the cutting edge of the cutting device 03 is assured.

[0025] To finish the flying roll change it is necessary to cut the old web of material 11, which up to this time has constituted the running-out web of material 11. In order to be able to cut the old web of material 11 without the danger of damage to the fresh web of material 16, the pivot arms 07 are controlled in such a way that they are pivoted back toward the right in accordance with the movement arrow 26. The course of the old web of material 11 is changed in the area downstream of the gluing point by this pivot movement, so that, as a function of the setting angle of the pivot arms, the fresh web of material 16 and the old web of material 11 together form a defined angle α (FIG. 4) in the area of the gluing point.

[0026] The device 01 is represented in FIG. 4 at the exact moment of the passage of the adhesive labels 19 past the cutting device 03. At this time the pivot arms 07 have been pivoted back far enough so that the connecting device 02 just rests against the old web of material 11. The fresh web of material 16 extends tensed between the adhesive labels 19 and the fresh roll of material 14. As soon as the adhesive labels 19 pass the cutting device 03, the old web of material 11 is cut by the cutting device 03 because of the course of its web, wherein the slip being created in the course of this is just as long as the distance between the cutting edge of the cutting device 03 and the fresh web of material 16 provides.

[0027] Thereafter the fresh web of material 16 is conveyed into the downstream located device 01 and the old roll of material 11, together with the cut off web end, is removed from the roll changer. Moreover, the frame 04 is pivoted back in accordance with the movement arrow 27 into its initial position represented in FIG. 1.

[0028] List of Reference Numerals

[0029]01 Device

[0030]02 Connecting device, gluing roller, gluing brush

[0031]03 Cutting device

[0032]04 Frame

[0033]05 -

[0034]06 Axis of rotation (07)

[0035]07 Pivot arm

[0036]08 Axis of rotation (04)

[0037]09 Guide roller

[0038]10 -

[0039]11 Web of material, running-out, old

[0040]12 Guide roller

[0041]13 Conveying direction (11)

[0042]14 Roll of material, fresh

[0043]15 Roll of material, old

[0044]16 Web of material, fresh

[0045]17 Movement arrow (14, 16)

[0046]18 Start of web (14, 16)

[0047]19 Adhesive labels

[0048]20 -

[0049]21 Sensor

[0050]22 Movement arrow (04)

[0051]23 Movement arrow (07)

[0052]24 Spacing element

[0053]25 -

[0054]26 Movement arrow (07)

[0055]27 Movement arrow (04)

[0056] α Angle 

1. A device (01) for connecting two webs of material (11, 16) wound on a roll of material (14, 15) during a flying roll change, having a connecting device (02) for connecting the fresh web of material (16) with the running-out old web of material (11), and having a cutting device (03) for cutting the running-out web of material (11), characterized in that the cutting device (03) can be brought into engagement with the web of material (11) to be cut by changing the course of the web of material (11) to be cut.
 2. The device (01) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the cutting device (03) is arranged downstream of the connecting device (02), viewed in the conveying direction of the running-out web of material (11).
 3. The device (01) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the cutting device (03) can be brought into engagement with the web of material (11) to be cut by displacing the connecting device (02).
 4. The device (01) in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the cutting device (03) can be brought into engagement with the web of material (11) to be cut by displacing a gluing roller or gluing brush (02).
 5. The device (01) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the cutting device (03) can be brought into engagement with the web of material (11) to be cut by displacing a connecting device (02), by means of which the course of the fresh web of material (16) can be changed.
 6. The device (01) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that at the time following the connection of the fresh web of material (16) with the running-out web of material (11), the cutting device (03) extends essentially parallel with the course of the fresh web of material (16).
 7. The device (01) in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a spacing element (24) is provided on the cutting device (03), by means of which a defined minimum distance between the cutting edge of the cutting device (03) and the fresh web of material (16) is assured.
 8. The device (01) in accordance with one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the cutting device (03) and/or the connecting device (02) are arranged on a displaceably seated frame (04).
 9. The device (01) in accordance with one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cutting device (03) and/or the connecting device (02) can be caused to approach the fresh roll of material (14) by a displacement of the frame (04).
 10. The device (01) in accordance with one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the cutting device (03) is fixedly fastened on the frame (04), wherein the web of material (11) to be cut can be brought into engagement with the cutting device by means of displacing a connecting device (02), which is displaceably seated on the frame (04). 